"Then, I'll go ahead and check out the situation first."
Both men had the same thought but said nothing, stepping forward together. In the distance, a black speck in the sky rapidly approached.
Just as Ronnel had said, there was only one figure—something felt off. The white flag in their hand was unmistakable.
A surrender?
"We wish to surrender to you!!"
The voice reached them before the figure did, echoing with urgency.
So it really is a surrender.
Morel and Knov exchanged glances.
Something must have happened in the nest.
"May I ask why?" Netero inquired, his gaze fixed on Korudol, whose anxious expression seemed entirely genuine.
"We need your help to save Her Majesty the Queen!"
"The Queen?!"
"Yes! She's already given birth to the King!"
So it really happened.
Morel and Knov lowered their heads in grim realization. The worst-case scenario had come true.
They turned to look at Netero, but the old man showed no outward reaction.
Ronnel, however, standing beside him, could sense the immense power surging within Netero, long restrained, now beginning to stir.
"Can't hold back anymore, old man?" Ronnel smirked before shifting his gaze to Korudol.
Korudol, a bird-like Chimera Ant, was one of the Squadron Leaders and fiercely loyal to the Queen. In his previous life, he had been a boy who failed to protect his younger sister, from being devoured by Chimera Ants. Retaining fragments of those memories, he was now driven by an overwhelming instinct to protect those he held dear.
This was why he was willing to surrender—to save the Queen.
"Please, there's no time!"
Korudol's pleading expression deepened with desperation.
"If the Queen dies, the hierarchy will collapse, and things will spiral out of control!"
Still wary, Knov pressed further. "What exactly do you mean?"
"I'm afraid the other Squadron Leaders will follow the King's example—establishing their own territories and breeding their own offspring! If the chain of command falls apart, Army Commanders at that level will emerge as well! That means—"
"They'll scatter across the world and wreak havoc on the ecosystem," Ronnel finished, shaking his head as he stretched. A series of cracks echoed from his joints.
"According to experts," he continued, "once the Queen dies, the soldier ants will disperse worldwide, pushing their reproductive capabilities to the limit. They'll force female creatures to mate with them, ensuring their species' survival."
Knov adjusted his glasses before looking at Netero.
"If we go by that logic, what he's saying makes sense."
His words were merely an analysis. The final decision lay with Netero.
"Forcing reproduction? That sounds exactly like the instincts of a wild beast. Typical ants," Netero mused.
Having loosened up from his stretch, Ronnel let out a breath.
"Whether or not he's telling the truth, why don't we just go and see for ourselves? I'll check it out first."
"And if the King is still there...?" Netero prompted.
"He's gone!" Korudol hurriedly interjected. "The King left the nest with his three Royal Guards in search of... food."
"Food?!"
An ominous feeling crept into Morel and Knov's chests.
"You mean humans, don't you?" Ronnel said softly.
"Judging by your form and the Chimera Ants we've encountered, your Queen seems to prefer human meat. Some ants even wield Nen. I have reason to believe that the 'delicacy' your King seeks is, in fact, humans who can use Nen."
At his words, Morel and Knov turned to Korudol, their eyes sharp with suspicion.
"Well... Her Majesty does enjoy eating humans," Korudol admitted hesitantly. "But I really don't know what the King prefers..."
"Hmph." Morel let out a cold snort—not directed at Korudol, but at the Queen.
He couldn't stand Korudol's willingness to surrender for her sake. In his eyes, it was just another form of aiding a tyrant.
"So the King isn't in the nest. That should be a relief, right, Chairman?" Ronnel smirked at Netero. "At least you don't have to worry about me stealing your fight."
"Hohoho~" Netero chuckled but said nothing.
"Alright then, I'll head over first, old man."
Ronnel waved before bending his knees slightly into a crouch.
Morel and Knov, realizing what was coming, instinctively backed away.
"I'll call you when I get there. You should still have a signal, right?"
"Naturally~"
As the Hunter Association's Chairman, Netero was equipped with a specialized telepathic mobile device, ensuring uninterrupted communication—just like the one Ickshonpe had custom-made for Ronnel.
"Good. Then I'm off!"
The instant he finished speaking, a powerful burst of energy exploded from Ronnel's feet.
With a single kick, he shot forward like a bullet, the force of his launch sending a violent gust of wind in all directions.
"Urgh!"
Despite having retreated, Morel and Knov were still buffeted by the dust and wind. Korudol, still airborne, was caught even worse.
Only Netero remained unaffected. Though his white robe billowed in the blast, his gaze remained fixed on Ronnel's rapidly vanishing figure.
"The Ant King..."
Netero stood silently for a moment. As the wind died down, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a specialized mobile device from Knov's Four-Dimensional Apartment.
"Get me Dr. Lee from Fanlin Medical University, along with top-tier surgeons who specialize in artificial organs."
"Chairman?!"
Morel and Knov turned to him, confused.
"Since he came to us with such sincerity, it wouldn't do to be stingy."
Netero smiled as he glanced at Korudol, who was struggling to steady himself in midair.
"Will four hours be enough for them to get ready, Mr. Ant?"
Tears welled up in Korudol's eyes. Overcome with emotion, he gripped the white flag tightly.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Chairman!"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)